WHAT IS THE DESIGN FOR LIFE PROGRAMME?
The Design for Life (DfL) programme is an initiative of the Department for Health and Social Care dedicated to delivery of a circular approach to medtech.
Its vision is that, by 2045, the UK will have transitioned away from all avoidable single-use medtech products towards a functioning circular system that maximises reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. The intention is that this will safely transform the sector to deliver enhanced resilience, increased economic growth, better value for patients and the NHS, and minimised environmental impacts.
The programme is a collaborative effort between government, industry, the health and care system, and academia, with over 80 stakeholders involved to date.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you’re an organisation who would like to be involved in DfL, whether it be directly through projects or just to become part of the conversation, then please fill the form here, which is monitored by the team at DHSC.
If you are an individual with thoughts or ideas you would like to share with the DHSC team, then you can use this form here to communicate directly with them..
Finally, if you would like a brief to share details of the programme within your network and organisation, a poster can be downloaded here.
Baroness Merron (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health) reviews a sample of reusable medical devices with Joseph Burton (Sustainability Transformation Product Lead, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust) at the DHSC Design for Life Roadmap launch, October 2024.
NEWS
NEWS: Centre for Sustainable Healthcare partner with DHSC to launch a series of pilots on reusable medtech across the UK
The DHSC has commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) to launch rapid NHS pilot programs focused on reusable alternatives to single-use medical technology. These pilots aim to quantify the cost and carbon savings, as well as develop practical guidance for overcoming adoption barriers.
A comprehensive report detailing the findings across 6-12 device types and multiple NHS Trusts will be published later this year.
Read More
NEWS: Commencement of the Digitally-Enabled Circular Healthcare Initiative
DECHI is a core initiative that supports the delivery of the Design for Life’s Physical and Digital Infrastructure theme, where the initiative team will provide regular evidence and insight to the DfL Advisory Group and collaborative.
Launched in January 2025, the three-year, EPSRC Digitally Enabled Circular Healthcare Innovation (DECHI) Research Programme unites leading interdisciplinary research expertise from the Universities of Exeter, Sheffield, and Cambridge. Led by Professor Fiona Charnley, Professor of Circular Innovation and the Co-Director of Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy, the programme researches new digital approaches to expedite the adoption of circular innovation within the MedTech sector.
Read More–
DESIGN FOR LIFE WALL OF FAME
In the wall of fame, the DfL programme celebrates how people across the UK, be they clinicians, suppliers, patients, or otherwise, are ‘living DfL’. Anyone is invited to submit their pictures or videos to Designforlife@dhsc.gov.uk to show how they are utilising circular medtech products and services in their company, hospital, clinic, home, or elsewhere.
The very first Wall of Fame images will be uploaded next month.
Contact Us–
REPORTS
Access our comprehensive reports that examine the path towards a sustainable and resilient future for medical devices and healthcare technology.
MedTech Spotlight Report
Accelerating Circular Economy Adoption
This report advocates for a paradigm shift to a circular economy, rejecting the linear ‘take-make-waste’ model. The circular economy, rooted in principles of waste elimination, material circulation at peak value, and natural capital regeneration, presents a transformative opportunity for the MedTech sector.
DHSC
Design for Life Roadmap
The government’s plan to build a circular economy for medical technology to increase resilience, drive growth, realise cost savings and improve sustainability.
Reducing the environmental impact of
medical devices adopted for use in the NHS
An exploration of the challenges and opportunities for integrating environmental impact considerations into key decisions and processes for medical devices in their journey from regulatory approval to adoption in England’s National Health Service.
